Stalingrad Front

The Stalingrad Front was a Soviet Red Army front that was active from 12 July 1942 to 1 January 1943. The Stavka created the front out of the newly formed 62nd, 63rd, and 64th armies (formerly reserve armies), and Semyon Timoshenko was its first commander. On 21 July 1942, during Case Blue, Joseph Stalin replaced Timoshenko with Vasily Gordov. The Soviets wore down the German advance on Stalingrad from July to August, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Soon, the Soviet 21st Army, the Soviet 51st Army, the Soviet 57th Army, the 1st Guards Tank Army, the 4th Guards Tank Army, the Soviet 8th Air Army, and the Soviet 7th Sapper Army were added to the Front, and the Southeastern Front was created to manage the southern portions of the Stalingrad Front. In August, Andrei Yeremenko replaced Gordov as commander of the front. By November 1942, the front consisted of five field armies, and it took part in the defense of the city during the Battle of Stalingrad. In January 1943, the front was renamed to the Southern Front.